Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Discover why late-night eating could be messing with your sleep patterns

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep
Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Staying up late into the night has become a common practice, often attributed to screen time.

But, did you know that our sleep is also connected to our eating and drinking habits? Sometimes, certain foods can prevent us from falling asleep.

Here are a few things that might be related to our difficulty in getting a good night's sleep:

Coffee: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Coffee can keep you awake because of its high caffeine content.

Tea: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Tea contains caffeine as well, which can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Spicy foods: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Many people crave snacks at night and often choose spicy foods, but eating them can raise your body temperature, which might make it harder to fall asleep.

Sugary foods: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Many people have a habit of keeping chocolates or biscuits in their bedside drawers for midnight snacking. However, foods high in sugar can increase your energy levels, which may make it difficult to relax and sleep.

Fatty foods: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Foods with high saturated fats can negatively affect the quality of your sleep such as fried foods and fatty cuts of meat.

Ultra-processed foods:

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Eating highly processed foods, such as pre-packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals, could impact your sleep, so it's best to avoid them.

Carbonated beverages: 

Foods to avoid before bed for a restful night’s sleep

Regularly drinking carbonated beverages might affect your sleep, even though they are not completely off-limits.